Excerpted from Marketing Daily “Marketing to Today’s Dad Requires New Approaches” by Karlene Lukovitz, September 22, 2008
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Many Generation X and Y fathers, in particular, are a new breed who are more involved with their children’s lives and more likely to make day-in, day-out types of product purchases–not just the home electronics or riding lawnmower buys, confirms a new study from Packaged Facts authored by Silver Stork Research.
Marketers looking to reach beyond appealing mostly or only to mothers to tap into this “Dad Factor” need to stop reflexively “thinking pink,” say the analysts. They should gear their brands’ media outreach and benefits positioning to these new fathers–who have a markedly different purchasing behavior than moms…
Who are these new generations of dads? They are less defined by gender stereotypes and see much less of a dividing line between men and women…these dads approach parenthood with a team attitude. Gen X and Y dads are positive, comfortable with their gender, optimistic about being parents …and much more active consumers than dads of previous generations.
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Key facts about newer-generation dads and marketing effectively to them, per the report:
Dads are men–meaning that parenthood doesn’t change their overall approach to the world; it just expands it.
Like mothers, fathers’ key concerns regarding their children are education and health…
Dads don’t like to browse and shop, at least when it comes to family-oriented products… However, they do have a propensity to make impulse purchases–an opportunity for marketers.
Electronic media and the Internet are key…
New dads are attracted to products that are practical and solve a problem. They put quality before price…At the same time, marketing should seek to leverage these dads’ appreciation of a humorous element in…and seek to add an element of fun to the products themselves. Fun and play are cornerstones of interaction between these dads and their kids.
Marketing/advertising should reflect these dads’ parental motivations to give their kids what they want, make their kids happy and be perceived as heroes by their children.
Marketing should include images of dads interacting with kids, especially “real” dads/kids, to reflect the more positive, involved image to which younger dads relate… Product packaging should take male-appeal into account…
Including products or product appeals geared to dads within promotions primarily targeting moms can also be effective.
Edit by SAC
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Full article:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=91038
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